Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Chicken and Yellow Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Most beet salads call for cooked beets, but I opted to slice them super thin and macerate them in mild white balsamic vinegar with a touch of sugar. As I do with many of my recipes, I followed the same procedure for the thinly sliced red onions, to help remove their bitterness, and as not to overpower the delicate chicken flavour. There was a nice balance with the acidity from the macerated beets and the mild sweetness of the curried chicken salad. What else for the final touch but my favorite, orange vinaigrette which nicely complimented the other ingredients.

Beet Salad Layer
red leaf lettuce or mesclun salad
2 yellow beets, paper thin slices (using a sharp knife or mandolin)
1 small red onion thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
In two separate small bowls, add the beet slices 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and follow the same procedure with the onions in the second bowl. Allow to macerate for 10-15 minutes. Rinse the vegetables separately to avoid them from being too astringent. Set aside

Orange Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijonnais mustard (a mayo and Dijon blend sold in stores)1/2 teaspoon honeyzest of 1/2 orangejuice of 1 orangesalt and pepper2/3 cup grape seed oil or canola oilIn a bowl add the balsamic vinegar and whisk in the mustard, honey, and salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. Makes about a cup and keeps well in the refrigerator.

Assembly

:

Arrange the lettuce, beets, and onions on a dinner plate and place a scoop of the chicken salad in the center. Drizzle the salad with orange vinaigrette.

6 comments:

The salad looks and sounds so fresh and delicious! Will you be joining the Cooking Club Challenge (Food Network) for August? I think you definitely should send in an entry, your salads are always so colourful and appetizing. Check their Blog section, click on the tab for Cooking Club Challenge and you'll see the recipe, and details on how to enter.

Angie, I also have another version of the orange vinaigrette, and which I serve on fennel. It's quite delicious, easy to make, and a sure winner with guests. Just haven't gotten around to posting it. I'm glad to have introduced you this variety of beets, a lot less messy than red beets and just as delicious. We are fortunate because they are readily available at our farmer's market in Montreal.

your salad looks so good with orange vinaigrette and thanks for the recipe. I would love the orange vinaigrette with the balsamic vinegar in it. Great combo. Thanks once again. I know I will love to come back here again :)